During my 2004 summer of exploration, my travels took me to Portland
Oregon, for the first time in my life. The only other points west of
Minnesota I had ever been were San Francisco in 1994, Salt Lake City around 1993
and Las Vegas while still in college back in 1987 or 88. I was visiting my
friends, and Innkeepers of the MacMaster House Bed and Breakfast in SW Portland
- it was the perfect location for exploring all of Portland's Downtown,
including a selection of gay bars and clubs.

SW Stark Street, Looking Westerly, August 2004

Portland gay nightlife is centered in 2 distinct areas - on SW Stark
Street just south of Burnside Avenue, near Broadway, right in the heart of
downtown. The second area is long established in the NW metro area, near
NW 2nd and 3rd Avenues. You can safely walk to all locations, but stay
alert and be careful on and near Burnside Avenue where it crosses NW 2nd Avenue
up to about NW Broadway (7th Ave). If you have never been to a city, I
would suggest using a car to move from one area to another, or use common
"city-sense". I walked most of the city almost every night of my visit and
did not encounter any problems.

My biggest complaint for almost every bar (Boxxes, CC Slaughters,
Silverado) was the hard core porn playing on monitors and TV's throughout the
bars. Portland gay nightlife is friendly, and low-key. But my visit was not enough time to explore
more of the culture and community. Portland has a large gay population, an
annual Gay Pride Event, and the city is very open-minded. With a wide
variety of restaurants and coffee shops catering to the GLBT community
throughout the city and outlying areas, there was no gay Mecca, such as one
might find in San Francisco (the Castro), Ft. Lauderdale (Wilton Manors) or
Chicago. In some ways this was very nice.

So here you will find my experiences, based on one or two visits during
August 2004.

This
interesting spot is technically 2 bars in one, connected via a long hallway.
Boxxe's is primarily a video bar with several TV screens and 1 large
screen. A smaller space, maybe accommodating 50 or 60 people if full.
An adjacent room offers a small dance floor, but no one was in it during my
visit on a Wednesday night. The crowd looked friendly, but there
wasn't anywhere to really sit and converse with people. The entrance
is just off Stark, and was usually identified by a temporary sign on the
sidewalk. The door is marked Boxxe's.
The video selections were ok.

On Stark street itself, you'll find an entrance to the Red Cap Garage.
The Brigg, listed on many web directories no longer exists, and I believe it
occupied the spot now inhabited by the Red Cap Garage. This bar
features a dance floor, small to medium size. A DJ was featured, but
by 11pm, this area of the complex was basically empty.

A few doors down, Panorama, a specialty nightspot. During my
visit, posters were displayed for a special weekend party. I believe
this, as well as many bars and clubs in Portland, also attract a straight
crowd. Based on what I read and saw, many hot gay clubs become popular
hangouts for straight club goers as well.

This
club claims to be the best and gayest of them all. My Friday night
visit confirmed it does appear to be one of the most popular. An ample
dance floor was busy, and the DJ featured popular dance music, and a good
light show. My biggest turn off was several video screens featuring
hard core porn, so much for bringing friends who may or may not be gay.
This may be intentionally for that very reason. Like Boxxes/Red Cap, a
hallway leads to a quiet bar and restaurant. I didn't venture in, but
it looked very classy. Drink prices were most reasonable. The
club was featuring AMBER a week after my visit for their annual block party.
Definitely worth a visit.

From my gathering, this was once the premiere place, but the years
have taken it's toll. Unfortunately I didn't discover it until nearly
my last night, a Sunday. I ventured in anyhow and found a fun, albeit
small crowd, enjoying an evening of Karaoke - and they were GOOD! I
sat back and enjoyed several performances, than eventually explored the back
room - or dance area. A large (probably the largest of the places I
visited) dance floor, with the best light show, using many intelligent
lighting effects. I don't know what the DJ spins on other nights, but
on Sunday, it was clearly Latin, mostly in Spanish - and the gathering crowd
was mostly Latin, and appeared to be mostly straight. No one seemed to
care. The staff and folks singing up front were certainly gay, and
based on the numerous Rainbow flags hanging outside, this was indeed
intended to be a GAY bar! The clubs web site found on most Internet
directories is not up and running, a real shame. If time allows, try
visiting on a Friday or Saturday. There was nothing in the bar/club to
identify themes or specials or events.

Club / Bar: Scandal's, 1038 SW Stark, Next to Clyde Hotel

Music: See Notes

Light Show: N/A

Atmosphere: 4 Stars

Location: City

Parking: City

Reviewed: August, 2004

Confirmed: August 2004

No Web Site Known

Deemed
to be the oldest established gay bar in Portland, having opened in 1979,
this was also the most upscale and nicest of them all. There is no DJ
or dance floor, just a nice neighborhood bar with music videos on a few
video screens.

Oddly
enough, this is apparently the place where everybody goes - and I found
myself there on 2 or 3 occasions myself. From young male dancers,
dressed in very little, and often exposing what is covered, to a small dance
floor, even a bar menu, and of course, porn on the video monitors, the
Silverado does seem to have it all. It's not classy, and I wouldn't
bring a first date or mixed crowd here. But it's not a dump either, by
no means. It just is. The bartenders are very friendly, smile a
lot, and can engage in decent conversation (the norm at most places
actually). You too will have to check it during a visit, before or
after you stop into Scandal's across the street and down a block.

SW Stark Street, Looking West Towards Burnside
The Silverado Bar is on the right (look carefully for the Rainbow flags)

OK, now there are the places I researched and walked by, but did not
go in. All of them are operating as of August 2004:

Club Portland - 303 SW 12th
Avenue (Near Stark Street) - NOT a club, as in for dancing. Check out
their web site and find out for yourself about the services which include
GANG Showers, a Gloryhole Maze, a bootcamp, and FREE condoms and WIFI!
Not my kind of place, maybe yours.

The Eagle - Leather/Levi/Porn

Klub Z - 333 SW Stark - You try and find it. It's a NO alcohol
all ages club. I walked by and it's there.

Hobo's - 120 NW 3rd Avenue - Noted as a classy piano bar catering to
business people and the after work crowd. It's near CC Slaughters,
though I didn't go there, it looked nice, and someone said it is a nice
quiet bar.

Three Sisters Tavern - NO, not a lesbian bar. The bar features
nude male dancers and supposedly serves beer and wine. I didn't have
the courage for this place, but it's there in the middle of all the action
on SW Stark Street.